How are U.S. savings bonds purchased?

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Electronic series EE and I U.S. savings bonds are purchased online through TreasuryDirect, reports the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Paper series I savings bond certificates are also purchased through IRS tax refunds. Financial institutions no longer sell paper U.S. savings bonds, as of 2015.

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Series EE savings bonds are purchased online only at face value in any amount from $25 to $10,000, as of 2015, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. They have fixed interest rates and are redeemable a minimum of 1 year after purchase. Electronic series I savings bonds are available online in any amount from $25 to $10,000. Paper series I bonds are in denominations of $50, $100, $200, $500, $1,000 and $5,000. Series I bond rates are a combination of fixed rates of return and semi-annual inflation rates.

Consumers can purchase electronic savings bonds as gifts if they have the Social Security numbers of the recipients, states the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Paper series I bonds are purchasable as gifts using the Social Security number of the giver. Although paper U.S. savings bonds are sometimes available for purchase through eBay and other auction sites, they only have value as souvenirs, as the buyer cannot cash them in. U.S. savings bonds are nontransferable and can only be redeemed by the original owners.